[FARC] FT-897D QRP

[kirktal7237 at msn.com]

Just got an Yaesu FT-897D for portable use with the Buddipole antenna.  I'm running it on two NiMh battery packs which contrary to Ham radio dealer literature only provide 4 hours of continuous operation at 20 watts on HF not 8 hours.  The FT-897D automatically switches to 20 watts maximum RF power when using battery packs, I have no control over this.  

Now I haven't set up the Buddipole antenna yet, but I am using the FT-897D with my 40 meter inverted V dipole.  This dipole has given fair to marginal performance at 100 watts with other radios depending on band conditions.  Today using the FT-897D on 40 meters I made my first contact using 20 watts.  I reached Joliet, Illinois and got a confusing signal report.  Very weak signal but good audio, with 0 to 1 S-units on the meter.   The guy could barely copy me over the background noise.

So this radio is evidently a QRP rig, not that there's anything wrong with that, and I was just wondering will I need some type of gain antenna like a beam to make this rig work?  I've been told that the right antenna with gain can be a good substitute for brute RF power and put out a fine signal.  Any thoughts on this?

See you all at the luncheon tomorrow.  

73
KB3ONM
Kirk